Oasis - Behind The Split

Did you hear? Noel has left Oasis. I’ve read about it. Happened yesterday – or the day before, I forget.

Few would have expected Noel Gallagher to leave the band he helped steer to global fame, yet is seems that his departure has been met with some degree of nonchalance. With the group’s past history of in-fighting and splits it seems that the ever loyal fans of Oasis are duping themselves into believing that they’ll wake up tomorrow and everything will be as right as rain. Well dig this: NOEL GALLAGHER HAS LEFT OASIS.

In many ways, we should have seen it coming. Liam Gallagher has always been a firebrand, capable of defending with his fists the rights of the band he founded. After inviting his brother to join the group Oasis began to pick up steam, achieving a record deal after a legendary slot in Glasgow. Yet this didn’t help placate the chemistry between Noel and his younger brother Liam.

An early interview with the NME resulted in a string of foul mouthed observations, with the pair almost coming to blows. Released via Fierce Panda as ‘Wibling Rivalry’ it’s well worth seeking out, if only to shed some light on the recent puzzling events. With a chart-shattering debut album under his belt Noel Gallagher reached breaking point while on tour in America during 1995. Retreating from the group it seemed that Oasis were finished, yet after talking things over he realised that the group revolved around the dynamic between the two brothers. Remove one, and all is lost.

That moment of introspection resulted in some of Gallagher Snr’s finest work, and some of Gallagher Jnr’s best vocals. ‘Talk Tonight’ and ‘Acquiesce’ regularly feature in fan’s lists of their favourite Oasis tracks, despite being hidden away as flipsides. However the next rift between the two would not end in such glorious tunesmithery.

After the catastrophe that was ‘Be Here Now’ Oasis lost Paul McGuigan and Paul Arthurs in quick succession. Removing twin stalwarts left the Gallaghers to work on the subsequent album ‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants’ by themselves. An under-rated work, Oasis later recruited Gem Archer and Andy Bell, before a European tour saw them scrape back from the wilderness.

Yet despite this, the Gallaghers could not get along. After a postponed show in Barcelona during 2000 Liam Gallagher began drinking, and later caused an argument with his brother that has repercussions to this day. Noel Gallagher revealed to Q Magazine back in 2005 that Liam not only abused him, but he questioned the legitimacy of his children.

“I’ve never forgiven him because he’s never apologised” revealed the guitarist. "He's my brother. I hope he's reading this and realises that. He's my brother but he's at arm's length until he apologises for what he's done”.

Liam Gallagher later backed down, but in an interview earlier this year Noel revealed just how estranged the two are. Speaking once more to Q the songwriter claimed that Liam has never been into his house, and that he wouldn’t let the singer meet his kids.

Yet Oasis seemed to go from strength to strength. Last year’s album ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ sold more copies than any since their Britpop heyday, even breaching the upper echelons of the Billboard chart. But it could be this success that has been their undoing, with heavy touring straining the band.

Announcing an enormous British tour, Oasis have not been able to leave the controversy behind. A report in the Daily Record claimed that Liam Gallagher stayed in a different hotel from the rest of the band, while the singer’s onstage verbal assaults became legendary. At Leicester’s Ricoh Arena the frontman berated the crowd after clapping too long, while the group’s set at The Roundhouse was peppered with foul mouthed ranting from Liam Gallagher.

Later, Noel would shrug off the incident stating that his brother was “on his man period”. Encouraging the wrath of Liam, it was the latest in a series of public spats. Noel Gallagher’s insistence on discussing a possible solo album was met with fury by his sibling, while Liam Gallagher himself used the launch of a fashion label to showcase his emerging songwriting talent. The most recent interview with Liam Gallagher saw the singer snarling from the cover of the NME, stating bluntly that it “takes more than blood to be my brother”.

Ultimately, Oasis belongs to neither one of the Gallaghers. However unlike in 1995 the pair don’t ‘need each other’, as the chorus of ‘Acquiesce’ once so triumphantly put it. Noel Gallagher has played solo shows, and fans have warmly greeted the possibility of an album under his own name. By way of contrast, Liam Gallagher is rapidly blossoming as a songsmith, with his own strict views on what constitutes an Oasis track. Could the differences in style – and in attitude - be what is driving the pair apart? We may never know, but it is hard to imagine Liam Gallagher arguing passionately for a 20 minute Krautrock inspired remix, as Noel recently did.

Cancelling an appearance at V Festival, Oasis told fans that Liam Gallagher had laryngitis. Whether that was true is impossible to say, but a later fight before Rock En Seine in France has left the band crippled. Noel Gallagher has written of his “great relief” at leaving the group, adding an air of finality to proceedings. Whether Oasis can continue or not is up to the remaining members, but with the group being former Clash Magazine cover stars it is heart-wrenching to watch the songwriting team that defined British music for a generation to be so cruelly ripped apart.